The Quiet Moments
by Chance2
Summary: Just a quiet moment in between the daring heroics.


The Quiet Moments  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly. Sadness.  
  
Author's Note: Just a quiet moment between the daring heroics.  
  
The Red Rat bar was smoky and humming with noise. It was also the only bar on Io, so it was busy with a steady flow of customers.  
  
Zoë, Inara, and Kaylee had been lucky to grab a table. None of them particularly wanted to be there but their time on Io was short and Mal had insisted that they get off the ship for a little while. Simon had chosen to stay with River on Serenity, and Book had cryptically announced that he had some things to do but would be along shortly. That left the crew and Inara to venture out into the night in search of a good and, as Mal had reminded them, inconspicuous time.  
  
Inara took a sip of her drink, glancing at the men, who were across the bar, engaged in a game of pool.  
  
"So, what are they competing for this time?" she asked Zoë.  
  
"Heard tell it was dish duty," the first mate replied, watching the three men as well. From the looks of it, the captain had sunk an impressive trick shot, if his exaggerated bow was any indication.  
  
"How long do you suppose they'll be like this?" the companion asked.  
  
"Showin' off?" Zoë asked with a slight smile. "All night, if we let 'em."  
  
"Wish the doctor had come," Kaylee put in with a longing glance toward the door.  
  
"Maybe he will," Inara said.  
  
Kaylee shook her head. "River weren't doin' so well today. He'll probably keep to the ship.  
  
"The doctor knows you're here," said Inara with a smile. "Perhaps that will induce him to make an appearance."  
  
"So," Zoë said casually, shooting Kaylee a significant glance, "you and the doctor? How's that goin'?"  
  
Kaylee shrugged. "Wish I knew. He likes me well enough, but he don't seem to wanna make the next move."  
  
"Then perhaps you should make it for the good doctor," Inara suggested with a sly smile.  
  
Zoë chuckled at the suggestion. "Simon wouldn't know what to do with himself."  
  
Kaylee laughed. "That might've worked for Zoë but I dunno that Simon'd go for it. He ain't like Wash. It probably ain't proper enough for 'im."  
  
Zoë laughed again. "Believe it or not, Wash made the first move."  
  
"Really?" Inara glanced over at the first mate's husband. Wash was giving Jayne a wary look and slowly scooting away from the mercenary. However, Inara noted that, in his defense, Jayne had been drinking heavily and was holding a large pool cue.  
  
"In case you hadn't noticed, Wash ain't exactly shy. Never was the patient sort neither," said Zoë. "Knew I wouldn't make the first move so he stepped up." She smiled fondly at her husband, who gave the women a merry wave. "Awfully glad he did, though."  
  
Kaylee grinned at the memory. "Yeah, but somethin' about him bothered you for the longest while." She giggled. "Reckon it was the moustache of his."  
  
"Wash had a moustache?" Inara repeated.  
  
Zoë nodded with a small shudder. "It was an ugly gorramn thing, wasn't it?"  
  
Kaylee nodded energetically in agreement.  
  
"I'm glad I missed it then," Inara said.  
  
The three women watched the pool game for a moment in silence.  
  
"You're fortunate, Zoë," said Inara. "He's a good man."  
  
"He is at that," the first mate agreed softly. She watched as her husband missed a relatively simple shot and managed to scratch in the process. "Not such a good shot, though."  
  
"Wonder what they're talkin' about over there?" Kaylee mused.  
  
*  
  
"Cap'n, do you suppose that the next time we go planet-side somewhere, we can go to a bar that doesn't serve liquor that bears a remarkable likeness to shiong mao niao?" Wash asked, staring into his drink with a wary gaze.  
  
"And how would you know what shiong mao niao tastes like, little man?" Jayne asked with a raucous laugh.  
  
Wash rolled his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question."  
  
Jayne shot Mal a blank look, and the captain resisted the urge to roll his eyes himself.  
  
"Behave," the captain said. "We ain't gonna be here much longer, so I 'spect you two can not goad each other for that time."  
  
"What we waitin' for?" Jayne asked.  
  
"Not a thing," Mal replied. He cast a sideways glance at the three women across the room. They were all laughing easily at some private joke. Kaylee was always a happy sort, but the captain couldn't quite remember the last time everyone was so relaxed and happy. It was good to see.  
  
Wash followed the captain's eye line. "Reckon they're talking about us?"  
  
"'Course," Jayne snorted. "What else'd they be talkin' 'bout?"  
  
Wash and Mal exchanged looks. "Well, at least he got over that pesky inferiority complex of his," Wash said dryly.  
  
"Like enough, he's right, much as it pains me to say," Mal admitted.  
  
Wash gave him a disbelieving look.  
  
"I just meant they been eyeballin' us for the past few minutes and laughin'. That don't bode well for us," Mal amended.  
  
Jayne took aim at one of his remaining pool balls. "They're likely laughin' 'bout the little man's lack of poolin' skills."  
  
"Poolin'?" Wash mouthed.  
  
Mal finally couldn't resist a slight eye roll. "Somehow I doubt Zoë'd stand for that. More than likely, they're just...havin' a good time.  
  
Wash took a sip of his drink, grimaced, and glanced over at the women. His face relaxed into an easy smile at the sight. "It's nice to see, ain't it, Mal?"  
  
Mal smiled fondly and raised his drink in salute to the ladies. "It surely is." 


End file.
